Today’s walk led by myself was a nice fairly easy 7 (or thereabouts) mile stroll from Shiplake station. Seventeen of us gathered at the start including three potential new members to the group. The day coincided with the Reading half marathon but no one seemed to have been affected by that event.
I have made it known to one or two folk that when I reccy a walk in bright sunshine usually when I come to lead it, the weather is often indifferent. Thankfully, today was an exception to the rule and we were greeted with very fine, fairly warm sunshine.
I have led a few walks in the area previously but this one took a number of different paths to my previous ones. We left the start in good time heading past what I have nick named “Creosote Lane” as every time I have walked through here the fence smells of; well, you’ve guessed it. We had the main A4155 Reading to Henley road to cross which we successfully achieved before taking the footpaths towards May’s Green. It is very common in these parts to come across a herd of deer and today we were not disappointed. A group of several dozen sprinted underneath a barbed wire fence perhaps 10/15 metres in front of us. They made it through to the field to our left but almost immediately half dozen made a hasty retreat, perhaps startled at seeing us, back to where they came from. In a moment of group solidarity, the remaining few dozen deer followed, all going under the barbed wire except one courageous soul who leaped over the fence! I have to say it was a rather impressive sight and as the walk leader and being at the front probably not a privilege that too many in the group had the chance to witness.
We continued on, with the odd drinks break here and there, past a rather basic golf range and then turning to head through Hunts Green which took us through some woodland before it opened up. This was an ideal opportunity for us to sit down and relax and have a picnic lunch. It was time for one or two to lie back and soak in some of the lovely spring sunshine. For me, today was perfect walking weather. Not only that, but the soft ground underfoot made it particular comfortable.
Lunch done we made steady progress through Binfield Heath and the well which was familiar to those of us who were on Tim’s Sonning Common walk a year earlier (see blog entry “ A Dog, a Well and a walk from Sonning Common” from February 16th last year. We stopped here for a brief moment before heading on the footpaths that took us to Shiplake Farm and not long after, a refreshing drink at the pub. Wow. We found ourselves in bit of a sun trap and for me certainly it became t-shirt weather.
Before long it was time to make the last bit of the route which took us near the 13th century church in Shiplake where Lord Tennyson, most famously perhaps for being Poet Laureate during Queen Victoria’s reign, married. We reached the Thames Path before striding out the 1.5miles back to the start, just in time for the 3.10pm train.